Lyn Evans
Lyn Evans Implements Omnichannel Customer Engagement Strategy with Retail Pro®
“We get a lot of snowstorms in Massachusetts . . . some of our patrons will travel for two to three months to a warmer part of the country. We don’t want to lose the customer just because we don’t have a store in that location, so we keep up the relationship online.”
- Stan Shotkus, owner, Lyn Evans
Background
Fashion has always set the course for Lyn Evans’ life and passions. In 1978, she
opened her first women’s clothing and accessories boutique, Lyn Evans Potpourri
Designs (from here on called Lyn Evans). In 1980, Lyn established her second store in
Wellesley, MA, which currently serves as their flagship store and corporate office. Lyn
Evans makes it their mission to curate an exceptional shopping experience for their
customers.
Headquarters:
Wellesley, Massachusetts
Website:
Product:
Retail Pro 8
Business Partner:
Customer Since:
1995
Engaging Customers with the Lyn Evans Lifestyle
![One blonde and one brunette women modeling clothes outside of 'CHATHAM PIER FISH MARKET']()
Lyn Evans does not take a price-driven approach to retail. Instead, each of Lyn’s seven
stores with locations in community-focused North East cities in the U.S. strives to build
personal relationships with the customers they serve.
“We get a lot of snowstorms in Massachusetts,” Shotkus told us. “Some of our patrons
will travel for two to three months to a warmer part of the country. We don’t want to
lose the customer just because we don’t have a store in that location, so we keep up
the relationship online.”
One such customer is a poster child for this kind of relationship
maintenance. An associate met with her online for a
personal shopping appointment. An hour and a half and one
happy customer later, the Lyn Evans associate had a $3,000
order. “Our goal,” Lyn Evans owner Stan Shotkus said, “is
to integrate the stores with the online community, with our
website serving as a showroom.”
Lyn Evans does not take a price-driven approach to retail. Instead, each of Lyn’s seven
stores with locations in community-focused North East cities in the U.S. strives to build
personal relationships with the customers they serve.
“We get a lot of snowstorms in Massachusetts,” Shotkus told us. “Some of our patrons will travel for two to three months to a warmer part of the country. We don’t want to lose the customer just because we don’t have a store in that location, so we keep up the relationship online.”
One such customer is a poster child for this kind of relationship maintenance. An associate met with her online for a personal shopping appointment. An hour and a half and one happy customer later, the Lyn Evans associate had a $3,000 order. “Our goal,” Lyn Evans owner Stan Shotkus said, “is to integrate the stores with the online community, with our website serving as a showroom.”
Defining their Omnichannel Strategy
![Two caucasian female models on a pier modeling East Coast fashion styles in front of a vast sky]()
Lyn Evans is striving to create a seamless experience for their customers. Every store is suited
with iPads that display their company website at all times to allow for cross-selling of items from
other stores. If a customer wants a certain style or color that is not available at their location, a
store associate will save the sale by helping the customer place the order from the store’s iPad
before they go.
They keep track of everything using their Retail Pro retail management software, which manages
all of their inventory for all channels. Lyn Evans outfitted their Retail Pro with an e-commerce
solution from 24Seven Commerce to administer web orders, and integrated the two to keep
real-time tabs on inventory across every location, without data duplication. Other solutions they
tested created too many intermediary steps to keep clear inventory on both their brick and mortar
and their online channels.
24Seven, as an integration with Retail Pro, significantly simplified their operations.
24Seven’s transparency and level of communication accelerated the implementation process.
“It’s a very responsive team,” Stan shared. “We were communicating on a daily and sometimes
hourly basis.”
Lyn Evans is striving to create a seamless experience for their customers. Every store is suited
with iPads that display their company website at all times to allow for cross-selling of items from
other stores. If a customer wants a certain style or color that is not available at their location, a
store associate will save the sale by helping the customer place the order from the store’s iPad
before they go.They keep track of everything using their Retail Pro retail management software, which manages all of their inventory for all channels. Lyn Evans outfitted their Retail Pro with an e-commerce solution from 24Seven Commerce to administer web orders, and integrated the two to keep real-time tabs on inventory across every location, without data duplication. Other solutions they tested created too many intermediary steps to keep clear inventory on both their brick and mortar and their online channels.
24Seven, as an integration with Retail Pro, significantly simplified their operations. 24Seven’s transparency and level of communication accelerated the implementation process. “It’s a very responsive team,” Stan shared. “We were communicating on a daily and sometimes hourly basis.”
Taking the Experience Online
![Messy but clean interior display of U.S. East Coast style clothes]()
Lyn Evans is also applying this business intelligence for growth in their online store. “In order
for the specialty store to survive, we have to change the way we do business.” The challenge is
keeping the personalized customer experience consistent between the online store and the brick
and mortar stores, but their customers know that a friendly Lyn Evans associate is always just a
phone call away.
With these seamless omnichannel operations in place, the Lyn Evans boutiques have achieved a
competitive advantage over so many retailers in their industry, creating a smooth and personalized
experience for their shoppers through both channels, while staying true to their brand. “We
are a small company with only seven stores. We don’t have the resources that the big players do.
We had to do this on a budget and in a short time frame, but we have the passion and commitment
to take our business to the next
level.” And, might we say, they are doing
it exceptionally well.
Lyn Evans is also applying this business intelligence for growth in their online store. “In order
for the specialty store to survive, we have to change the way we do business.” The challenge is
keeping the personalized customer experience consistent between the online store and the brick
and mortar stores, but their customers know that a friendly Lyn Evans associate is always just a
phone call away.With these seamless omnichannel operations in place, the Lyn Evans boutiques have achieved a competitive advantage over so many retailers in their industry, creating a smooth and personalized experience for their shoppers through both channels, while staying true to their brand. “We are a small company with only seven stores. We don’t have the resources that the big players do. We had to do this on a budget and in a short time frame, but we have the passion and commitment to take our business to the next level.” And, might we say, they are doing it exceptionally well.
